Ben Bender

Ben Bender

Personal information
Full name	Benjamin Bender
Date of birth	(2001-03-07) March 7, 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth	Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Tampa Bay Rowdies (on loan from Charlotte FC)
Number	15
Youth career
2009–2015	Fewster FC
2015–2016	Philadelphia Union
2016–2020	Baltimore Armour
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2020–2021	Maryland Terrapins	29	(9)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021	Baltimore Christos	7	(6)
2022–	Charlotte FC	50	(7)
2023–	→ Crown Legacy FC (loan)	1	(0)
2024–	→ Tampa Bay Rowdies (loan)	0	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 14, 2024

Benjamin Bender (born March 7, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Charlotte FC. He was the first overall selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft.

Career

Youth and college

Prior to playing college soccer, Bender played youth soccer, from the age of 6 through 15 for Coach Barry Stitz and Fewster FC. The one-team, independent Fewster FC Club won 4 Maryland State Cups, 2 USYSA Regional Championships and played for the U15 USYSA National Championships in 2015 2015 USYSA U15 National Championships page. After USYSA changed their age categories (to birth year), Bender then played academy soccer, one season for the Philadelphia Union academy and four years for Baltimore Armour. Concurrently, Bender played high school soccer for Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Maryland. With Calvert Hall, Bender served as the team's captain, being named an Allstate All-American his junior year, and earning honors from TopDrawerSoccer.com, All-Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association honors, and was named a Baltimore Sun All-Metro selection. ^[1]

Ahead of the 2020 NCAA Division I men's soccer season, Bender signed a National Letter of Intent to play collegiately for the University of Maryland, College Park. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on sporting events, Bender did not make his Maryland debut until February 19, 2021, starting in a 2–3 loss to Penn State. On March 27, 2021, Bender scored his first collegiate goal against Northwestern University. Bender would finish the 2020 season appearing in all 11 matches for the Terrapins, scoring twice.

Professional

Following his freshman season with Maryland, he signed a Generation adidas contract with Major League Soccer, an expected top five draft pick, ^{[2] [3]} Bender was selected first overall in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by Charlotte FC. ^[4] Bender became the third ever player from the University of Maryland to be selected first overall in the MLS SuperDraft, and the first since Maurice Edu was selected first overall in 2007. ^[5]

On September 6, 2024, Bender was loaned out to USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies until the end of the season. During this move, Charlotte also excersised a contract extension keeping Bender at the North Carolina club until the end of the 2025 season. ^[6]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played on July 14, 2024 ^[7]

Club statistics

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Charlotte FC	2022	MLS	28	3	3	0	—		—		31	3
	2023		17	3	1	0	—		5 [lower-alpha 1]	1	23	4
	2024		5	1	—		—		—		5	1
	Total		50	7	4	0	0	0	5	1	59	8
Career total			50	7	4	0	0	0	5	1	59	8

1. Appearances in Leagues Cup

Honors

Individual

• NPSL Young Player of the Year: 2021

References

1. Graham, Glenn (January 11, 2022). "'It's pretty special': Former MIAA rivals, Maryland soccer stars Ben Bender and Brett St. Martin selected in 2022 MLS SuperDraft". Baltimore Sun . Retrieved January 12, 2022.
2. Garlacep, Ives (January 10, 2022). "SBI 2022 MLS Mock Draft (Final Version)". SBI Soccer. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
3. Clark, Travis (January 11, 2022). "Final 2022 MLS Mock Draft". TopDrawer Soccer. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
4. Carlisle, Jeff (January 11, 2022). "Charlotte FC picks Maryland's Ben Bender as top MLS draft selection". ESPN . Retrieved January 12, 2022.
5. Goff, Steven (January 11, 2022). "Maryland's Ben Bender selected No. 1 by expansion Charlotte FC in MLS draft". The Washington Post . Retrieved January 12, 2022.
6. "Charlotte FC Midfielder Ben Bender Joins USL Championship Side Tampa Bay Rowdies on Loan". Charlotte FC. September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
7. "Benjamin Bender » Club matches". World Football Net. Retrieved May 17, 2023.

External links

• Maryland Terrapins profile
• Ben Bender at Soccerway